Happy Halloween
by Al Evans
Summary: For some reason Halloween has the Parker Industries C.E.O. Peter Parker acting out of the ordinary. Read on to find out why true believers! By the way this story is set in between Amazing Spider-Man Volume 3 #18 and Volume 4 #1.


_This story is set in between the events of Amazing Spider-Man Volume 3 #18 and Amazing Spider-Man Volume 4 #1._

 _Please leave feedback when your done reading._

 _Enjoy!_

* * *

"Peter! Hi, I'm glad I caught you. I need you to take a look at these new designs for the Webware prototype."

Anna Maria Marconi bustled towards her partner Peter Parker, the rising star of the corporate world. Though it was Peter's name which adorned the Parker Industries logo, Anna Maria handled the day-to-day running of the business. Or at least she handled more than Peter did.

In his defence, Peter did have other priorities; ones which mostly involved webbed spandex. But in Anna Maria's opinion this didn't excuse him from any and all duties when it came to running the company; especially right now, when things had been particularly difficult for months. After all, it hadn't been that long ago that their old corporate headquarters had been destroyed, setting back the projects they'd been working on and tarnishing the reputation of the young Parker Industries . Since then she and others had worked hard to rebuild what they'd lost and earn back public trust.

"Sorry, I've got to be somewhere." Peter's reply was quiet and measured. It lacked the guilt ridden doom and gloom Anna Maria had come to note in Peter from time to time. But it was also devoid of his general air of cheeriness too.

"Excuse me?" Anna Maria was making a very conscious effort to reign in her indignation. "Peter, this is important, Webware is going to be one of our biggest products."

"I know. And I _will_ take a look at them. Just not today."

There it was again. That same quiet, measured tone.

Anna Maria hadn't known Peter for very long, but even so she could tell something was different about him. She hadn't seen him all day and that itself was odd. She'd not heard of any crisis which required Spider-Man's special attention. And she'd been informed that Peter had come into their temporary office building in the morning as usual.

She'd been too busy to check in on him herself, but now she thought about it she surely would've seen Peter in and around the building as she'd made her rounds among the staff. Which meant Peter had simply kept to himself that day, something he'd never done in all the time they'd been rebuilding Parker Industries.

Realizing this she felt a kind of concern. She didn't have much in the way of real affection for Peter; even calling them friends would've been a stretch. They were first and foremost business partners and given how important he was for the company (and by her own future by extension) if something was wrong she wanted to know about it.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"...I'm fine. Really I am. I just...I have somewhere to be."

Peter's answer had come just a second too long after she'd asked. It was enough to confirm Anna Maria's suspicions that there was something going on. It had also however served to convince her that she wasn't going to get anything more out of him right now, let alone dissuade him from going to wherever he was planning on going. With that Peter turned away and began to walk towards the door.

"You going trick-or-treating?" She called after him.

To her surprise, Peter turned abruptly back to face her.

"What?" His tone was sharp and almost sounded like it was shocked. It was hardly warranted in response to her light jab.

"I...I was just joking. You...You're not _actually_ going trick-or-treating are you?"

For a split second Anna Maria thought she saw an icy look cross Peter's face. But it came and went so fast she wasn't even sure if she'd just imagined it or not.

"No." He replied flatly, before heading out the door.

Anna Maria watched him walking away through the office windows until he was out of sight. After that she just shook her head in exacerbation and made her way to the next department, brushing aside a paper skeleton that hung from the ceiling as she entered.

* * *

As Spider-Man swung past endless rows of window sills he did his best to ignore the decorative jack-o'-lanterns adorning them. He applied the same discipline for the other Halloween decorations he encountered. The wailing ghosts, the oversized spiders...the cackling goblins.

He did however keep a note of how many kids he'd spotted going door to door dressed in Spidey outfits, though he wasn't sure if he should count the ones garbed in Miles' sleek black and red number or Miguel's edgier futuristic suit. He let the thought drift away as he gracefully descended behind a building where his Spider Sense informed him he would be left in peace to change.

In less than a minute, he'd removed his mask and gloves and pulled on his civilian clothes on over the rest of his costume. It was nothing fancy, an old but beloved pair of jeans from Aunt May, a dark jacket, and a blue hooded top. He was relieved to be out of the business suit he'd had to wear in recent months. Whilst it certainly made him feel more professional around the office (and let him believe he actually _knew_ what he was doing), the truth was it was more for the press than for his benefit.

Parker Industries reputation was growing now that the public faith had mostly been restored. With that came renewed interest in the up and coming 'boy genius' (a title Peter had scoffed at given his age) who was slowly but surely revolutionizing the tech industry. As such, everyone from Anna Maria to Aunt May had insisted he 'look the part' just in case a press opportunity came. It was after all important for the success of the company, the company upon which a lot of people's futures were riding. Peter had accepted this, along with the attention he got when just walking down the street.

A part of Peter, the same part who'd gone into show business so long ago, enjoyed this attention. A much larger part of him however preferred the days when the most notice he got on the street was as 'that guy who takes pictures of Spider-Man'.

He breathed out small laugh. "Heh, now I know how it felt to be-" He stopped before he could finish the thought. It still stung to remember those times when they were together. Today had been hard enough already. And it wasn't over yet.

Peter pulled the hood over his head and began to walk. He headed towards the tiny store he always visited on this day. Although he knew it'd make more sense to have gone there earlier in the week it had inadvertently become a tradition that he purchase what he was after on Halloween itself.

Unfortunately work at Parker Industries had held him up so he hadn't quite made it out here as early as he'd wanted. As successful as the business was going right now, it seemed Peter was still not above the occasional strike of the Parker Luck and predictably the store was closing by the time he got there.

"We're closing up man." Said the dark haired storekeeper at the door.

"Aw c'mon! I just need five minutes."

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry."

"So am I!" Peter sighed in frustration. "...what if I pay double?"

The storekeeper cocked an eyebrow before shrugging.

"Alright, alright come in. Just don't take too long"

Stepping over the threshold, Peter quickly scanned the tiny store and picked up a glass lantern and a large candle. He continued to look around for a minute before turning back to the storekeeper behind the counter.

"Don't you have any more of these?" He held up the candle. The storekeeper shook his head.

"Sorry, we under ordered this year by mistake. What with the season and all your lucky you even found that one."

Peter let out an exacerbated breath.

"Look, I _really_ need two of these."

"Hey pal, that's all I got. Now are you gonna pay up or-"

Just then the door of the store creaked open.

"Yo bro, what's the hold up here?"

Another man, almost identical to the storekeeper save for his blonde hair, walked in accompanied by an 8 year old boy dressed as Captain America and a similarly aged girl dressed as Spider-Man.

"Just gotta deal with this last customer Johnny. You wanna get the kids started on this block?"

"I would but-"

"Daddy, I want you to come too." Piped up the little girl.

Peter's grip on the lantern tightened as he watched the family. He turned his gaze from them and back onto the storekeeper.

"It's fine." He said quietly. "I'll just take what you've got."

Moments later he was walking down the street with the candle and lantern in tow, cursing the fact that for the first time, he wasn't going to be able to do things properly this year. And that killed him almost as much as seeing those people in the store.

As he continued his walk he kept his hood up and his eyes down, not wanting to catch sight of any more families.

* * *

It took him awhile to get there on foot, but much like buying the candle on the day, this was part of the tradition. No quick and easy web-swinging.

Some years he hated that because it meant he had more time to dwell on things and would prefer to get everything over with quickly. Other years the slower pace felt good, almost like exorcising a poison from his body.

This year it felt good, but in a different way. This year the walk and the thoughts and the memories hurt. But Peter 'King of Guilt' Parker just now felt like he deserved that for his lateness. It was something so simple, the least he could do for them today. And somehow, he'd managed to mess it up.

All in all he was more angry than sad when he finally got to the Brooklyn Bridge. He walked halfway along and glanced at his watch.

19:58.

"I'm not late. At least that's something." He muttered.

"You still talk to yourself tiger?"

Peter turned his head and spotted her there in the flesh, garbed in a black boots and a large overcoat she'd buttoned up against the cold.

"Mary Jane?" It felt weird saying her name out loud after all these months. "What are you...I mean, I thought you wouldn't-"

"That I wouldn't come here today?"

She spoke in a quiet measured tone of her own. To someone who didn't know her as well as Peter did, it might've come off cold. He however knew she meant it more as a statement of fact, rather than something passive aggressive.

"It's just that...When you were in L.A., after Harry came back...you didn't show up. With things the way they are between us now, I just thought..." He trailed off, uncertain what to say.

MJ held his gaze as she raised her head slightly, an almost regal gesture.

"I did show up back then... It was just after you'd left. I was...well, I was trying to avoid you." She gave a little shrug. "It was pretty childish to be honest."

"...You're here now though..."

Peter was staring at Mary Jane dead in the eyes. She continued to stare right back.

"This is important."

Eventually Peter broke his gaze. He had an idea he might've crossed some kind of line, or was close to doing so in any case. He lifted the lantern onto the side of the bridge, placing the candle to the side of it.

"I messed up MJ." He was looking at the candle as he said this. He knew MJ was unlikely to react with disappointed, let alone anger or anything like that. Still, just then he didn't want to address her directly over his screw up. Not when it was something like this.

"What are you talking about?" She asked out of sight.

"I only got one candle. The stores had all run out by the time I got to them." He was still avoiding looking at her.

"Electro keep you busy tiger?" A tiny smile passed across Peter's face despite himself. Mary Jane had a knack for that.

"Actually it was work. Normal work, I mean."

"Oh...well that makes a change I guess." Out of the corner of Peter's eye, he noticed Mary Jane was searching her purse. "I read about you in a magazine by the way." She said distractedly. "Sounds like you're a real high flyer now. Well...more than you've always been I mean."

"Thanks." He wasn't sure what else to say. It was strange for them to be talking about his life this way, as if they were mere acquaintances. "...I'm sorry MJ."

"...For what?" Her voice was slightly shaky as she asked the question, as though she was afraid of where the conversation was going.

"For the messing up tonight." Peter heard a tiny sigh of relief. "I didn't mean for this to happen." Peter finally turned to address MJ face to face again. "I just-"

He stopped midsentence at the sight of MJ. She was holding a candle and a lantern of her own.

"I thought I'd bring a spare...just in case." She said simply.

After a moment Peter craned his head towards his own candle and gave a little jerk in its direction. MJ took the hint and placed her own candle and lantern next to his.

Peter handed MJ the matches he'd brought with him and she proceeded to light her candle; Peter followed suit with his own. Together they carefully placed them in their glass lanterns.

When they were done they took a step back.

For awhile they stared at the lanterns side by side, lost in the dancing of the twin flames.

"I don't think about him as much as I should."

Neither of them was sure how much time had passed when Peter said it. Though her face didn't show it, the statement had taken MJ aback in the midst of the silence. It took her a moment or two before she replied.

"That doesn't mean you didn't love him Peter...It doesn't mean you don't _still_ love him."

Peter gave a derisive laugh.

"How can you say that MJ?"

Her eyes narrowed in frustration on Peter's behalf. Whatever had happened between them, she'd always hated it when he did this to himself.

"Because I know you."

She let her statement hang in the air for a second, hoping it'd sink in.

"I know how much you cared about him. I know that he's half the reason you've kept wearing that suit ever since he died...And I think you know the real reason you don't think about him all that much."

Peter stared deeply into the flickering flame of his candle, considering the question and thinking back painfully to his all too brief time with the man in question.

"Because it hurts too much." He replied after a while.

"...Yeah..." Said MJ quietly. "We have to keep going no matter what, and sometimes that means pushing the pain we feel away. I should know. I did it for years growing up. And after Mom died. And..."

MJ couldn't finish. She just stared intently into her own flame and seemed to get lost in it.

"...And you do it now about...her..."

Peter looked at MJ, who was still staring straight ahead at her candle.

"...Yes..." It was spoken in a whisper. "It...It hurts too much when I think about..." Her eyes narrowed. "...You know what I mean?"

She turned to look back at Peter.

"...Yeah...I know... _I know_ MJ."

MJ looked back towards the candles and then further out over the water.

"One day. One day a year we remember them properly. One day a year we..."

"...We let it hurt..." Peter finished.

"...Right..." MJ gave a sad nod.

Another long silence followed this, the pair of them turning back to the candles. Once again, it was Peter who broke this.

"...I keep thinking every time we come here, how different it would be if they were here with us. What we'd be doing."

"We'd be with all those other people out tonight." MJ chuffed in amusement. "You and Ben would've been bored though...you two dressed up all year round."

"He'd have loved it." Smiled Peter. "He was just like that. He loved life because he knew what it was like not having one...God I miss him..."

"...Me too...But..." Mary Jane gulped slightly. "...I miss her too..."

Peter heard a small yet sharp in taking of breath. The sound caused him to close his eyes momentarily, as if he was somehow in pain.

"I know that's stupid because we never...but I _knew_ her Peter. _We_ knew her. We loved her and...I miss her."

Mary Jane's began to sob. Without thinking about it Peter wrapped his arms around her.

He was crying too.

Were this any other day and any other moment he might've felt like nothing had changed. That he and MJ still had one another and everything was going to be okay somehow.

But on this day and in this moment, his mind was blank beyond just comforting the only other person who truly understood the loss he felt deep down.

Eventually, after what seemed like hours, they parted. Neither of them said anything else after that. There was nothing left to be said.

But they stood there, together, side by side, watching the candles burn bright in the darkness of the night.


End file.
